Last week, my parents were visiting for a couple of days, and we had made great plans. I had wanted to take them out to Dyrehaven park and take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage, and a visit to Christmas Tivoli was also on the agenda. Unfortunately, the weather did not play along at all - it was freezing cold, and a light drizzle and icy winds made being outside pretty much unbearable. So instead of a carriage ride, we visited the Viking Ship Museum.
We couldn’t get out of the cold fast enough, so instead of a visit to Tivoli before dinner, we ducked into the Copenhagen Plaza Hotel and enjoyed a drink (okay, two) at The Library Bar, one of my favorite bars in Copenhagen.
It’s small and cozy, with wood-paneled walls, cozy little nooks with leather couches, soft carpets on the floor, and dim lights - the perfect place to escape the freezing Copenhagen winter. Oh, and the dapper bartenders really know their craft and will mix you a mean drink. I could happily spend my days watching a handsome man in a butterfly stir a perfect Old Fashioned!
Below is another amazing cocktail, with Hendricks gin, St Germain, cucumber, and lime.
After two drinks, I was ready to brace the cold again, and we headed for our dinner reservation. My dad and boyfriend are both big meat eaters, and my mom and I love a good pizza - so I had booked us into the relatively new BÆST in Nørrebro.
They describe themselves as a restaurant with heavy focus on organic meats and produce, and they make their own charcuterie and mozzarella cheese in-house. There are two set menus, the “Little Beast” and “Big Beast”. We opted for the small one, and I will admit I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be full. Luckily, that fear was totally unsubstantiated!
In line with recent trends, the food comes in several rounds that are served “family-style” for the table to share. The charcuterie came first, with some delicious fennel salami, bresaola, and ham. Along with it came some homemade pickles and a sublime pork rillette.
We added the mozzarella to the menu, which came second, drizzled with beautiful Sicilian olive oil. That mozzarella was just amazing; juicy, delicate, and flavorful.
It really was some of the bæst mozzarella I’ve tried!
Next up was a salad course with a creamy parmesan dressing that sort of reminded me of a Caesar salad.
Even my otherwise salad-shy boyfriend grabbed a bite!
BÆST is also famous for their stone-baked pizza, which was of course also included in the menu. We started with a simple, yet yummy mozzarella and basil pizza with a thin, pillowy crust and juicy tomato sauce.
Needless to say, it didn’t last very long!
It was followed by this delicious creation with Brussels sprouts, sausage, and sheep’s cheese.
I was catapulted to Brussels sprouts heaven, because the following serving included this simple, but genius dish of grilled Brussels sprouts with pancetta and heaps of shaved parmesan. I need to make this at home!
Alongside, we got these white beans with sausage - gotta love a nice bean dish on a cold fall/ winter night!
To finish off, we dug into the most beautiful, flavorful lamb stew, served on a bed of creamy polenta. The lamb was incredibly tender and just fell apart on your fork. Comfort food at its finest!
After all this food, something noteworthy happened: I skipped dessert. It’s quite shocking, since I pride myself on having a “dessert stomach” - I am an absolute sweet tooth, and dessert is a crucial part of dining out for me. But after this feast, all I could manage was an espresso.
This menu will set you back 325 DKK per person, excluding the mozzarella, which maybe isn’t a steal, but a very reasonable price for what you get. I highly recommend trying their pizzas and the homemade mozzarella!
BÆST, Guldbergsgade 29, baest.dk
Danika Maia says
So glad you reviewed this place! I’ve been meaning to go there with my boyfriend. Now we definitely will.
Danika Maia
http://www.danikamaia.com
Laura says
You should! And then eat all the mozzarella. It was delicious! :)